Conviction In Fatal 2002 Shooting

A 24-year-old male has been convicted of the fatal shooting of a Jamaica, Queens, man who was hit once in the back while being chased in May 2002. The murder occurred outside a Jamaica social club.
&#8220The defendant has been held accountable for the cold-blooded murder of a 28-year-old man, whom he chased while firing a gun on a busy Queens street,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown. &#8220His lethal conduct not only took a life, but endangered the lives of others and warrants imposition of a lengthy prison sentence to punish him and protect society.”
The defendant has been identified as William Patterson, also known as &#8220White Boy,” whose address at the time of his arrest was 118-36 153rd Street in Jamaica. He was convicted following a nearly three-week jury trial of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree reckless endangerment after one day of deliberations. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise, who presided at trial, set sentencing for January 8, 2007. Patterson faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
According to the district attorney, the defendant, armed with an illegal revolver, fatally shot James Thomas, 28, once in the back on May 31, 2002 at 4:50 a.m. outside a social club on the corner of 109th Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica. Trial testimony claims that the defendant accused the victim of stealing one of his guns and after Thomas denied the accusation, the defendant shot at his feet and chased the defendant down the street to the corner, where he fatally shot him.
According to Brown, the defendant fled to South Carolina after the incident and was apprehended shortly thereafter by detectives of the NYPD's 103rd Detective Squad.